Grandmother Spider

I’ve been gazing at this web out my kitchen window for the past week or so. I’ve grown mesmerized by it. And the other day when it was pearled with raindrops I tried my best to capture it in a photo. I even got to meet the crafter (not pictured). She was huge and enjoying her lunch and I swear I could see her beady black eyes staring at me.  This reminded me of a story I had heard about Grandmother Spider. I couldn’t remember the details, so decided to do some research and to share some of what I’ve learned.

There are various accounts about Grandmother Spider. In some traditions she is the keeper of esoteric wisdom, in others creator of life (Hopi), and in still others the bringer of light (Cherokee).

This account, focused on our interconnectedness, from the book Grandmother Spider and the Web of Life seems particularly worthy of repeating right now. It reads:

“When the Universe was still so dark that not even shadows could be seen in the night, Grandmother Spider sat in her web in the Sky World, waiting and watching. No one knows how old Grandmother Spider is, or how long she sat waiting for the Universal Mind to awaken. But, every Creature Being who has ever lived knows her song and dance as the weaver of the Web of Life.

From her web, Grandmother Spider observed the first thoughts as the Universal Mind awakened from the dream. Seven energy beings floated out from the shining light in the center of the Universal Mind and solidified into bright, shining stars who went out to take their places in the Sky World. Grandmother Spider took a very deep breath and softly began to sing her weaving song while she danced across the Sky. As she spun her thread, Grandmother Spider envisioned the Web of Life. Within moments, she had woven her web connecting the seven stars and creating the Spirit Doorway through which all of the rest of life would enter…Singing her song and weaving the Web of Life, Grandmother Spider continued with her work. The Sky World filled with light and life as her creative process unfolded. As the stars, suns and planets prepared to give birth to their children, Grandmother Spider spun her cord even longer, so that all of the newly born could be included in the Web of Life. Grandmother Spider continues to weave the Web of Life throughout every cycle of creation.

All life everywhere in the Universe is connected by the Web of Life. We are not separate beings. We are each a part of the Great Mystery, manifesting as an individual awareness in a separate physical body, but sharing the same energy as all other life. The energy web is anchored within our center and is our connection to the Great Mystery.

Along with Grandmother Spider’s web cord, we carry within our center our dream for living that includes a promise and a purpose. Before we came into the Earthwalk, we chose the gifts and talents that help us create the reality that we envisioned. We also chose the lessons and challenges that motivate our learning and growth. Our dream for living carries a specific vibration of sound and color that guides our spirit essence in it’s flight from the Universal Mind, through the Sacred Cave, and into the womb of our physical mother. During our Earthwalk, we live our choices and lessons, and develop our talents and gifts, as we meet each situation and challenge of our growth…
Grandmother Spider weaves the Web of Life around us when our spirit essence enters its physical body inside the womb of our mother. From feet to head, our spirit essence is woven together with our physical body as Grandmother Spider sings her weaving song to us. When she completes her weaving, Grandmother Spider does not cut the cord, but leaves an energy trail with her weft thread that goes out from our center to connect with the next Creature Being that will enter the Web of Life…This gift of Grandmother Spider insures that we are never alone, for through it we always share the love of All Our Relations.”

I also found lots of interesting information in Spiders as Spiritual Guides by Dennis Hazenbroek. Hazenbroek points out how “the spider is considered the teacher of language and the magic of writing,” offers lessons in “persistence,” and “represent[s] ancient symbols of infinity.”

Hazenbroek also points out the link between spiders and Samhain. Their link to death via venom which is “of course also used as basis for the antidote, connecting the Spider both to death and rebirth and thus…the completion of the circle.”

So with that I say Happy Halloween and I ask…
What are you weaving?